Evidently Sponsored by the TM meditation trust in Europe http://www.meditationtrust.com/
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Rick Archer" <rick@...> wrote: > > http://positivenews.org.uk/2011/wellbeing/spirit/5148/flash-mob-meditations- > london-awaken-public-interest/ > > Flash mob' meditations awaken public interest > > UK <http://positivenews.org.uk/location/united-kingdom/> / Wellbeing > <http://positivenews.org.uk/category/wellbeing/> > > 11 Sep 2011 > > Popularity of group meditation increases across London > > Meditation 'flash mob' in Trafalgar Square, 2 June 2011 Photo C Kiran Gupta > > Hundreds of meditators are converging in public spaces in London to take > part in 'flash mob' meditations. The pre-planned events have startled > passers-by when, following a signal, groups of strangers seemingly going > about their business have suddenly sat down to meditate together. > Since June 2011, events have taken place at Trafalgar Square, Covent Garden, > and City Hall by the river Thames. They are coordinated by Wake Up London, a > group of 16 to 35-year-olds inspired by the teachings of Zen master Thich > Nhat Hanh. > Wake Up London believe the flash mobs are a demonstration of peace and show > how anyone can sit down and experience inner silence, even in the centre of > a huge city. > Elina Pen, a member of the group, says the events raise awareness of the joy > of meditation while enabling people to unite as a multicultural group of all > ages and backgrounds. > "We are a microcosm of the rest of the world here in London," says Elina, > "and we are very proud of that fact." > Marie Kennedy, also a representative of Wake Up London, adds: "Meditating > together creates so much peace, within and without." > Simultaneously, significant numbers have been gathering together in the more > traditional setting of the Swiss Church in Covent Garden, for group > practices of transcendental meditation T, organised by a new charity, the > Meditation Trust. > > What is a flash mob? > A flash mob is when a group of people assemble suddenly in a public place, > perform an unusual activity for a brief time, then disperse > > "Over the past few months, diverse meditation groups have seen a significant > and what seems to be a spontaneous growth in interest and enthusiasm for > group meditation experience," says Colin Beckley, director of the Meditation > Trust. > Marie Kennedy agrees. "This has gone global. There are more and more groups > being created every day; pods of meditators." > Wake Up London is working with an international movement called Med Mob, > which is coordinating meditation flash mobs across the world at around the > same time each month. Fourteen groups are involved in the UK, from Aberdeen > to Brighton, as well as many more globally. > Innerspace, a meditation centre in Covent Garden run by spiritual education > organisation Brahma Kumaris, is also experiencing a surge of interest. The > centre's co-ordinator, Arti Lal says that although meditation has become > more fashionable in recent years, there are more people not just attending > their meditation sessions this year, but wanting to explore the practice > more deeply. > "People are looking for two things in particular," she says, "to create a > better quality of life with more personal responsibility for their own peace > of mind and emotional responses, and to develop a meditation skill that can > be used anywhere and at any time." > The Meditation Trust meanwhile, has opened the second half of its regular > 2-hour group sessions, beyond TM practitioners to any member of the public > who wishes to sit quietly, practice their own silent meditation, or use a > simple mindfulness technique as instructed. > "The public are invited to experience some degree of the power of a group > meditation," explains Colin. > Meditators notice that even in a group of two there is a greater settling of > the mind, and this effect grows in accordance with how many people gather, > says Colin. "Regular meditators have reported much stronger experiences of > silence and bliss than they normally experience alone or in their usual > groups of 20-50 people." > This effect even has an impact upon others who are not involved, Colin > believes. "Mothers learning meditation have noticed how their children begin > to behave better and school teachers see the same effect on their classes. > "This is because consciousness, the silent level of the mind, is a single, > unified field, known experientially by the yogis of India for thousands of > years and now inferred from the discoveries of quantum physics. Or, as the > yogis have always said, we are all waves on the ocean of being." > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > No virus found in this message. > Checked by AVG - www.avg.com > Version: 2012.0.1869 / Virus Database: 2092/4608 - Release Date: 11/10/11 >
